By CELIA W. DUGGER

Published: November 12, 2008

The World Food Program trimmed rations to the hungry in Zimbabwe this month because of what it called ''a severe funding crisis,'' the organization announced Tuesday. It has appealed for $140 million in donations. Without more money, it will run out of food just as the hungry season peaks in early 2009 and five million people are in need, the organization said. In the hardest-hit communities, people are surviving on one meal a day and trading their cows for buckets of maize, the main staple food.